Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	beauty_n	life_n	zion_n	22	3	8.6790	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09981	A liveles life: or, Mans spirituall death in sinne Wherein is both learnedly and profitably handled these foure doctrines the spirituall death in sinne. The doctrine of humiliation. Mercy to be found in Christ. Continuance in sinne, dangerous. Being the substance of severall sermons upon Ephes. 2. 1,2,3. And you hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sins, &c. Whereunto is annexed a profitable sermon at Lincolnes Inne, on Gen. XXII. XIV. Delivered by that late faithful preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1633 (1633)	STC 20235; ESTC S122552	73,904	134

the same purpose also saith Iames Iam. 1. 18. The word of Truth begat you now Truth hath a reference to the understanding And thus briefly have I given you a taste what this death is and the place wherein it is seated 2. Now it followes that we speake of the kinds of this death which for the better handling and benefit of your memories I will range into these three sorts 1 The death of guilt by which we are bound o-over to eternal damnation and so in the same manner usually wee say a man condemned is a dead man 2 The death which is opposed to the life of grace which is the seperation of grace from our soule 3. The death which is opposed to the lif of joy and comfort which is a thousand times more terrible than all deaths if it were truly and as it is indeed apprehended Which latter death that you may the better conceive of I will open it a little to you God joynes with every mans soule and gives to the most wicked man some seeming life of grace and some colourable life of comfort for else they would indure an hell here upon earth For the first although the wicked have no true grace yet they have a shadow of it as is manifest in their morall vertues So for the second for comfort they have some although no true comfort for God is the author of comfort as the Sunne is of light which all both good and bad doe more or lesse participate of or else they could not subsist As may appeare by the contrary for when he doth but once with-draw his comfort from us it is the terriblest thing in the world An example of this we may see in Christ when this comfort was with-drawne from him but in sense and feeling onely it made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27. 46. Where Gods presence is taken away there is nothing but horror and trembling and I have knowne such that in his absence when his presence hath beene taken away have had their soules so pressed with horror that they have said That if at a thousan● yeeres end they might enjoy the comfortable presence of God they would thinke themselves th● happiest men in the world The absence of this made Luther to say That if all the creatures in heaven and hell should set to torment him they could not doe it so much as the with-drawing of Gods comfort did Alas poore creatures now in this world God is not seperated from you you feele not the torment of this death but now you enjoy the crepusculum and day-light of this comfort and therefore although it bee now slightly esteemed and little regarded yet when that day shall come that the Lord shall totally seperate them from his presence they shall by lamentable experience learne how terrible a thing it is Thus much for the second point the kinds of this death 3. For the signes of this death The signes of it may be taken from them of the bodily death the signes of that are these foure 1. The understanding faileth 2. There is want of sense 3. Want of motion 4. There is a deadnesse in the face These foure things you shall finde in a spirituall death First As those that are corporally dead want reason and understanding so doe those that are spiritually dead they cannot understand the things of God no more then men can judge of colours in the darke I but some man will object and say The carnall man knowes many things he hath a generall notion of the God-head and can talke of the creation of man and his redemption by Christ he can discourse of faith repentance c. There is a great difference betweene knowing Spirituall things and knowing them after a right manner a carnall man knoweth them but not in a right manner not in a spirituall manner And hence is that of the Apostle Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God but in workes they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate The word which there is translated reprobate is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying unable to judge Indeed in the generall they may understand and like the things that are of God but come to particular circumstances that crosseth them they as a Divine sayes of them love veritatem lucentem non redarguentem they wholly dislike particulars because they bring them to hic et nunc to particulars In the abstract they loue holinesse but not as it is applied to particulars as it convinces them of their particular sinnes Hence it is that godly men are most hated of them that come neerest to them in shew because they bring light home to them and discover their acerrima proximorumodiv their inward and bosome hatred of their neighbours It is as much as if one should bring a Torch to one that is a doing some unlawfull thing some deed of darknesse he would wish him further off their lives shine as lights and therefore giving good examples by a shining and godly conversation which is contrary to the life of the ungodly and hypocriticall ones they cannot chuse but hate them and as all wicked men hate them so especially those that are nighest unto them in shew because that their life doth not onely shine unto them and lay open their vildnesse but scorch them also and therefore they being occupied about the workes of darkenesse wish them as farre off as they can So that hence we see with an approving judgement not any save those which are quickned can understand spirituall things 2. The second thing wherein a naturall death consisteth was in a privation of sense so also is it in the Spirituall death for their hearts are strong and cannot bee moved although I deny not but sometime they may have a little griping of conscience and sense of Gods judgement which naturally ariseth from conscience but they never have any reall and true feeling of it 3. In a naturall death they are without motion so likewise it is in a Spirituall death for the wicked can no more move themselves unto any good worke than a dead man can move himselfe out of his grave 4. In a naturall death there is a want of vigorousnesse and beauty as well in the face as in all other parts of the body so also there is in the Spiritual death the losse of that vigorous beauty which followes the life of grace they may bee seene to have death in the face if a living man beholds them he knowes how to discerne it although I deny not but that they may have hypocriticall painted vertues which may to weake eyes for a great while seeme true ones as men may have painted faces that have been taken for living ones but they are not true graces such as proceed from the life of grace indeed I but some may here object and say have not

concerning the estate and condition of the Church at this time and needfull it is wee should so doe for doe you not see the dangers that they and we are in and the confusion that is almost throughout all Europe yet God hath not forgotten us neither will he leave us if wee can but rest upon him what though there should be a sudden change so that all things were with us as it was in Hesters time yet could the Lord bring forth some good thing out of it that should tend much to his glory and our good Put the case all were turned upside downe as it was in the confused Chaos wherein heaven and earth was mingled together and the waters overcomming all the rest yet as then when the spirit of the Lord did but move upon the waters many beautifull creatures were brought forth and the Sea divided from the rest that those waters that seemed then to spoyle all serves now to water all and without it we cannot bee Even so were the Church in never so confused a condition yet the Lord shall so order the things that seeme to undoe us that they shall bring forth something of speciall use that is something to water and make fruitfull the house and people of God and therefore be not out of hope whatsoever befalls thee onely bee humbled for there is great cause so to be and the Lord calls thee to it by his Ministers and wee are his messengers to declare his will unto you and as we must bee humbled and take to heart the cause of the Church so wee must consider the time that wee may bee throughly affected thereby for it was Ephraims fault not to doe it and thou must see this distresse so as it may bring thee into the Mount for it is not an extremity simply that will cause the Lord to helpe thee but when thy soule is plowed up therewith and then the Lord will cast in the seed and water it so as thy soule shall spring againe and therefore let us still maintaine our hope in all conditions whatsoever And for this end did I fall upon this Text at this time That in the Mount will the Lord be seene FINIS The scope of the Chapter Three false guides among the Ephesians Doct. The Doctrine proved first by Reason Secondly by Scriptures 1 What this death is Two things a naturall and a spiritual death Dead workes why so called The seat of this death Ephes. 5. 1● 2. The kinds of this death How terrible the taking away of Gods presence is 3. The signes of this death Foure signs of bodily death 1. Privation of reason Obiect Answ. A difference betweene knowing spirituall things and knowing them in a right manner 2. Privation of sense 3. Want of motion 4. Want of beauty and vigour Obiect Answ. How wicked men may have moral vertues 4. The degrees of this death The death of guilt The death opposite to the life of grace Three degrees of this death The first The second The third The death opposite to the life of ioy Obiect Ans. 1 Ans. 2. Ans. 3. A difference betweene the spirituall and corporall death 5. The Vses of this point Vses 1. Not to defer repentance How the devil deceives men in perswading them to put off their repentance Saving repentance what it is Simile An example of Spira Vse 2. How to esteem civill men Simile Simile Vse 3. To stirre up to thankfulnesse for being quickned Vse 4. How to esteeme of the meanes of grace Vse 5. To examine ourselves whether we have life in us or no. Simile How the divell deceives civill men Two signes of our quickning 1. An application to examine our selves before we receive the Sacrament The nature of dead men Two kinds of spiritually dead men First starke deadnesse Three positive signes of dead men A careless neglect of goodnesse A lying still in any lust A living lust what it is An antipathy to God and godlinesse Five Privitive signes of dead men Privation of speech Privation of heat Obiect Answ. Stiffenesse Simile Privation of sense Obiect Answ. Matth 13. 13. opened No sympathizing in the miseries of others Two things to move us to consider the Churches misery Quest. Answ. What we must doe for the Church Pray for it Our Prayers must be fervent Spirituall Of Faith With Constancy Of righteousnesse With humility Be more ●ealous Stir up others Performe duties in due time With Continuance The Divels cunning to deferre men from doing good Duties Signes of civil men that seem to have life but have none indeed They doe not Grow They are moved by an outward Principle They doe it but in some places and company They speake from the teeth not frō the heart Iunius converted by a country-mans harty speaking Two meanes to get life Doct. No translation to life without apprehension of Gods wrath due to sinne Things considerable Three things keepe a man from Christ 1. Vnbeleefe 2. Neglect of him 3. Vnwillingnesse to part with other things for him Three things to be set against these to bring us to Christ. The necessity of a deepe humiliation Without sound humiliation we will not come to Christ. We will not stay with him Humiliation compared to the sout sorts of ground Matth. 13. We will not suffer or doe any thing for him Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. The Doctrine of Humiliation must goe before Sanctification Vse Simile Three questions Quest. 1. Answ. True humiliation consists In seeing our lives abound in sinne In considering that there is nothing good in thee In smiting th● heart with a● apprehension of Gods curs● Quest. 2. Answ. What sorrow is required to true humiliation Quest. 3. Answ. How to know true sorrow How true Humiliation differs from other sorrow In the rise In the continuance Bousion Cons. 299. Simile By the signes and effects Contrition of heart 1. Heales our Sinnes Simile 2. It causeth love to Christ Signs to know whether we love Christ or no. 1. Obedience 2. Affection towards him 3. The light prizing of spirituall things 4. Contentednesse with the meanest condition 5. Feare of offending God 6. The finding of sweetnesse in the word of God 7. Meekenesse of spirit Obiect Answ. Humiliation changeth our nature Quest. 4. Answ. The differen● of humiliation in one well educated and a grosse sinner Quest. 5. Answ. The least degree of humiliation will make us count sin the greatest cuill Christ the greatest good A mans conversion consists in three things Quest. 6. Answ. The Law the onely meanes of humiliation Obiect Answ. The spirit of bondage what and why required to humiliation Obiect Answ. How afflictions and the Law concurre to humiliation Five meanes to humiliatiō 1. Meanes to consider our estates 1. Meanes to suffer sorrow to abide on us 3. Meanes see sinne in 〈◊〉 effects 4. Meanes to make these evilspresent by faith Two things ought to be present before vs. 5. Meanes To take heed of shifts Eight shifts whereby

to the tumbling in the mire Some againe good exhortations and counsell will make them live well and they will continue so while they are in that good mood Others will bee good while a storme of ficknesse indures but when the sunne-shine of prosperitie shall beginne to appeare they returne to their old courses they are like a Bullrush which hangs downe his head till the storme is over it but as soone as the Sunne shines it lifts it up againe Some may hold out longer than others yet at the last all will give over because they are not moved from some inward principle The third is this As the Angels assumed those bodies but for certaine times and places and occasions and afterwards laid them aside againe so will your hypocrites doe in some places and companies at some times they will take on them the bodies of living men and so have a name to live but indeed are dead But come they in other places or companies they will lay aside their bodies and then will be as profane as any I confesse a godly man may bee the worse for being in an ill companie they may be myrie and dirtie but yet they still remaine sheepe as a pibble and a pearle foyled with the same mire can scarce be distinguished till they be washed so the godly doe but wash them and then you shall discerne them to be pearles but these Wolves the wicked which onely takes sheepes cloathing on them comming amongst Wolves cast off that cloathing and become as much Wolves as any The fourth signe is this As Angels or devils which assume bodies cannot speake heartily as living men but have an artificiall framed voice which is from the teeth outward not heart so where there is no true grace but seeming it may be discerned from the speeches not in the matter but in the manner an hypocrite may often babble more than the true Christian as a blazing Starre shines as bright if not brighter than the true Star but there is abroad difference betwixt them the one speakes but from the head and the other from the heart for a true living man doth speake heartily and feelingly That the manner of speaking doth much affect others it is plaine Hence is that that Iunius reports of himselfe that hee lighting into a Countrie mans house which was wholly illiterate and unlearned hee confesseth that his heartie speaking of faith and repentance c. did so move him that he thought that there was somthing more in it than meere knowledge and so wrought on him that by Gods grace it converted him so that the manner of speaking doth often affect where the matter doth not which an hypocrite cannot have And thus much for the signes of seeming living but indeed dead men Now having shewed that all are dead it followes that we should shew the meanes of getting life which are also comprehended in my text and they are these two 1. To labour to see that ye are dead You that were dead in trespasses and sinnes c. as all men are by nature 2. To goe to Christ for life hee it is onely that can give it so saith my Text hee hath quickened you It is the propertie of God alone to give life Now wee cannot goe to him but by Christ and we must goe to Christ by faith therefore is faith called a living faith because it unites Christ and the soule together Now the difficultie is in this that men will not come to Christ and take him some come not for him at all others take him but not in good earnest as grafts put into a stock but not so ingrafted as to grow thereby but when a man is once soundly humbled then will he come to Christ and not before for till then hee doth not hunger and thirst after him but the extreame hungrie will bee satisfied with nought but meat as Sampson said Give me drinke or else I dye Now life consists in the union betwixt Christ and thy soule This union is by Luther compared to fire and iron united which causes the iron to have all the properties of fire as burne scorch c. so an humble Saint united to Christ hath all his proprieties though not in the same measure and degree The Doctrine of Humiliation Now these must bee handled distinctly and therfore the first meanes of life is to see our selves children of wrath and that wee are dead in trespasses and sinnes The point that hence ariseth is That whosoever would be translated from death to life must first apprehend himselfe to bee a child of wrath that is he must see the face of God as of an angry Iudge so farre forth as it may drive him to Christ. So that a man cannot be saved untill hee hath not onely a touch or two but a true sense of sinne a deepe apprehension of his sinnes of death and of damnation for onely to such are all the promises made Christ is onely sent to binde up the broken hearted Christ came to call all that were heavie laden and those onely those he will ease Peace must be preached to none but those that moume in Sion Therefore the Apostle saith Gal. 4. 21. Tell me ye that are under the Law doe ye not desire to heare the Law Yea the Law is said to be a Schoolmaster to drive men to Christ that is first there must bee the Law before Christ can bee had for else although wee should Preach the Gospell it would be contemned therefore Christ in his time gained onely the poore The poore receive the Gospell that is the poore in spirit God will have his jewels of life and salvation to be esteemed which we will never doe untill we see our miserie how that we are in the estate of death As the deliverance out of Egypt would never have beene so sweet had they not beene in extreame slavery and bondage first God deales with us as Princes doe with their malefactors first they bring their neckes to the blocke and then give them a pardon for then they apprehending death the pardon is the sweeter and more welcome and acceptable to them Indeed if the question were made what God could doe in his absolute power I know that God might convert us and not humble us if hee would he might say as hee did in the Creation Let it be and it must be hee might come in a still voyce onely without sending before a voyce rending the rockes hee might use lightning and no thunder but wee speake of his ordinary course wherein hee will not for none are saved but such as have not onely a sight but also a deepe apprehension of their sinnes For the better understanding of this point wee must consider these things 1 That there are three things which keepe a man from Christ. First Vnbeleefe when men will not beleeve that he which was borne of the Virgin Mary was Christ and God therefore about the